A Jewish scholar or scientist says “Being a Jew is one thing, and an adherent of Judaism another.” But statements in the Qur’an make it clear that Jews are adherents of Judaism. Because it speaks of their commandments, of their not abiding by the Torah. Isn’t that right? Of their opposition to the Qur’an, of their martyring the prophet. Since it refers to their not obeying the commands of the Qur’an, they are adherents of Judaism. Allah speaks of a pagan, or polytheistic people. This person says, “There was a people known as the Jews, but they were a separate people.” They were not a separate people. Allah speaks of the same people in the Qur’an. If He refers to them as disobeying the Torah, is there any other polytheistic people? Allah speaks of the people of Moses who should obey the Torah. But in some verses Almighty Allah refers to them as the people of Israel, and sometimes He refers to them as otherwise. Look at verse 163 of Surat al-A’raf, for instance:

“Ask them about the town which was by the sea when they broke the Sabbath...”, the people being referred to here are the people of Israel. “...when their fish came to them near the surface on their Sabbath day but did not come on the days which were not their Sabbath....” The Jews being described here are the people of Israel. Look, “When they were insolent about what they had been forbidden to do, We said to them, ‘Be apes, despised, cast out!’”

Allah does not say, “When they are not insolent.” He says, “When they were insolent.” They fail to understand this. They say, “They [the Jews] are all apes.” But Allah says they are only that if they rebel against His commandments. Almighty Allah does not say they are apes if they obey His commands. So there is a provision applying to believers here.

Look, verse 46 of Surat an-Nisa’, reads: “Some of the Jews distort the true meaning of words, saying, ‘We hear and disobey,’ and ‘Listen without listening,’ and ‘Ra’ina!’...” They alter these words, the commands of the Torah. Pagans have nothing to do with the Torah so they are not a separate people. This also refers to the Jews. “Allah has cursed them for their disbelief”,says Allah. He does not say they are cursed for killing people. He says they are cursed because of their disbelief. So if they do not engage in disbelief, they will not be cursed. Do Muslims also not go to hell because of disbelief? Are they not cursed? They also go to hell and are cursed. “Very few of them have faith.” Allah is referring to the whole world. “Very few of them have faith.” They can explain this to our brothers who do not know in this way. It is incompatible with the Qur’an to curse Jews en masse and say that they are all accursed apes. They are misinformed and do wrong. The verse is explicit, there is nothing about it to misunderstand.